Selfish

24.) Priorities

Christopher Maurice Brown ◇

August squinted his eyes and looked down as he took in everything that I'd just explained to him.

"So you mean to tell me Ty hit ya girl, you cut em off and fought him then next thing you know- you in the pin?" He asked.

I nodded my head confirming his broken down explanation to be true.

"Yo, that's crazy," Sean shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm saying," I agree with him. "Now the only way I can get outta this shit is if Tyga changes his mind which I doubt is gon happen."

"He's the one that's wrong though," Kid pointed out. "He hit ole girl, do the cops know that?"

I shook my head no and responded. "Ain't no way to prove it. "

"It's like you and her word against his right? Well isn't that the same as his against yours? Where's his proof?" Sean asked.

"One of his punk ass neighbors made a statement so he got a witness that I left his house around the time he got hurt," I explained.

"This is a mess," August said after sighing.

"I know, man, and I'm not tryna put y'all in the middle of me and Ty's problems or nothing, but this is really my only hope of getting out of this. I could possibly face jail time and lose my shop. Y'all know how important that is to me."

It was silent for a second before August replied to me.

"It's not putting us in the middle. It's a what's right and what's wrong kinda situation. Helping you out would be doing what's right and still not technically hurting Ty. We wouldn't be bad friends to him by doing this," he shares his thoughts then shrugs his shoulder. "At least ion think so," August pauses and turns to Sean and Kid. "What do y'all think?"

They both nod their heads agreeing with him.

I smile internally since I'm glad that I got some logical friends.

At least somebody got my back.

Sarai Nivea Taylor ◆

"So, how are things right now?" Julia asks me. "Where do you and Chris stand?"

I don't reply back at first since I'm not happy with the answer at all. I don't want to think about there not being a 'me and Chris.'

I huff before responding. "I'm the least of Chris' worries right now. There is no Sarai and Chris," I mutter. "Not at all."

"How come? What are the circumstances right now?"

I sign and shuffle uncomfortably. "There's definitely someone else."

"And how are you so sure about this?"

"I didn't have to read in between the lines for this, Julia," I explain. "I met the girl."

"When? How? Why?" She asks questions back to back.

"What do you mean how and why?" I frown. "Everything's turning south and that was just the result of something terrible. Something bad turned into something worst- that's what happened."

Julia pauses and I already know she wants for me to further explain.

"Ty spoke to the police.. Chris went to jail.. I was forced to speak to his new girlfriend," I don't exactly get specific in my explanation. "My life is shit right now."

"It's doesn't have to be..." Julia trails off.

I squint my eyes at her in confusion and ask, "What do you mean?"

"Your purpose for getting therapy was to get closure and to pretty much find yourself, correct?"

I shrug a shoulder and then say, "I guess."

"Well everything that you told me in the first place that you wanted my assistance with, you have gotten through. It seems like you should be at your highest point now, but you don't seem to be happy."

"Because I'm not," I answer bluntly and in a sort of harsh tone. "I did this to finally be able to express myself and I already have, but nothing's turning out right. I just don't understand."

"What's not turning out right? Is it Chris?"

"Yes! What else would it be?"

After a moment of silence, Julia says, "Sarai, I think your purpose for getting therapy wasn't the best. It's like your priorities are all screwed up."

I honestly took offense to what she said, so, my response wasn't exactly the nicest.

"What the hell do you mean my priorities are screwed up? I did this for me!" I exclaim.

"You did this for Chris," she argues in the calmest voice ever which ticked me off.

I'm stressing. I feel like I'm drifting into the state of depression and someone who should be helping me- my therapist- is doing nothing but dragging me down.

"You sound so ridiculous right now," I can't help but laugh lightly at what I'm saying. "All this time I've been coming to you for help and you think this was all for him? You know that all I wanted was guidance so you're not making any sense."

"What did you want guidance with, Sarai?"

"To be able to easily express myself," I answer simply.

"Express yourself to who?"

"Express my feelings t-," I stop mid-sentence realizing that what she said was true to a certain extent.

"Hmm? Express yourself to who?" She presses.

"I want to express how I felt to Chris, but that doesn't meant that the whole point of this was for him. This was for me too," I try explaining.

Julia gives me a 'yeah right face,' and I sigh and then admit, "Okay, okay. Maybe you're right."

How was the chapter guys?

And I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas!